Was it my responsibility to turn off the e-brake?
My wife’s car needed a tow for a dead battery. I had parked the car on the road last night in preparation of the tow, but it was on a decline so I engaged the e-brake. The driver arrived and started hooking up before I could even come out to greet him. He asked me to demonstrate the dead battery, so I unlocked the car and turned the key. He asked me if I was going to give him the key. I said I planned to follow him to the mechanic, so I went to grab my wife as quickly as I could. I did not disengage the e-brake. By the time I had walked to my truck he had pulled away already. When we got to the mechanic we noticed a burning smell.
The mechanic was a little over a mile away on 30-40 mph streets. It’s at the mechanic now and they are telling us the brakes are damaged. I didn’t think about the e-brake when I turned the key for him. Should he have confirmed the e-brake was disengaged before
Pulling away? Or was it my responsibility?